The Rab-6 in a press release yesterday said they had reports Saifuzzaman alias Shoaib alias Ripon, 38, was going to Khulna from Dhaka through Gopalganj-Mawa route to carry out destructive activities.

Rab members took position at different points on the route, waiting for a private car, which according to the reports was carrying Shoaib.

Challenged at about 3:40am, passengers of the car defied the Rab signal and drove towards the Rupsha Bridge, opening fire on the elite force, the release said.

The Rab countered the attack and fired about 47 shots during the 20-minute-long 'shootout'. The Rab men later recovered Shoaib's body and seized his white Toyota car, but could not arrest his associates.

The Rab also seized one SBL gun, one locally made revolver, five cartridges, three bullets, three used cartridges, one cellphone and five SIMs.

BACKGROUND
Shoaib was accused of about 100 criminal offences including 25 murders in cases filed with different southwestern police stations.

Besides, he reportedly had direct involvement in the murders of journalists Manik Chandra Saha, Humayun Kabir Balu, Awami League leaders Manjurul Imam, mayoral candidate SMA Rab, Haroon Sarder, Khulna University treasurer and district AL vice president Abdur Razzak Sarder, three UP chairmen, SI Farhad of Fakirhat Police Station in Bagerhat and havilder Akram Hossain of Boyra Police Lines.

A think-tank of the PBCP faction, Shoaib had claimed responsibility for all the murders using his code name Ripon Ahmed in fax messages.

He was also involved in extortion, robberies, rape and abduction for ransom in the southwestern zone.

He came to limelight after snatching PBCP founder Abdur Rashid Malitha alias Tapan from police on Khulna Judge's Court premises on January 26, 2002.

A close relative of Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Saidee MP, Shoaib is the second son of prominent religious leader Moulana Abdul Wahab alias Bulbul-e-Bangladesh of Sonadanga in the city, police sources said.

He was hiding in Uttara in the capital for long to escape arrest.